14 May 2015

The History of the Church by Joseph Smith - a wonderful book set!

Not long after I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in 1974, my sister-in-law, Donna Purcella, gave me the first few tomes of this wonderful work. Tears of joy come to me as I remember the hours on end that I spent absorbed in this set as a newly married working in Wild Horse Valley Ranch in Napa, California as a riding instructor. Future volumes were on my Christmas list for my wife, Linda, to get for me. It took me several years to read through the first six volumes and this set has become one of my favorite books of all time. Through it I gained a better understanding of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have a love for the Prophet Joseph Smith. I feel as if the Prophet is an old friend. I have been recommending this set to almost every set of Elders and Sisters who have come to our home during the many years I have been a ward or branch missionary or mission leader and to anybody else who would listen. All my children can finish the sentence for me when I say The History of the Church by Joseph Smith with notes by B.H. Roberts. Many members do not realize that this is where we get the Joseph Smith--History in the Pearl of Great Price. Except the story continues through page after page of absorbing narrative. In these pages we not only have a great number of the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, but the context within which each section was given.I have been looking and looking for this book in the Deseret Book listings and immediately purchased it on 8 May 2015, the day I found it. I had to leave most of my books behind as Linda and I returned to the land of my birth, Chile, but now I can have the set right with me, in my pocket. This book set is a joy and would make a great gift for anyone who loves the Savior and enjoys seeing His hand touch the lives of the great Prophet of this dispensation, Joseph Smith, and the early Church leaders and members. You will not be disappointed. If there was one book I wish was translated into Spanish, it would be this one.Deseret Books link: Link to History of the Church by Joseph Smith

About Me

My paternal grandfather was a Lithuanian Jew and grandmother a German Jew. My maternal grandparents are both Chilean. I was converted and baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1974, after reading the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ. It was the Book of Mormon that compelled me to go back and become more interested in my Jewish roots. While the writings of Isaiah and the Prophets have always held a special appeal for me, it was in 1996, while reading in the Book of Mormon, that the words of our Savior sank deep into my heart: “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yeah, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah” (3Nephi23:1). You may send mail to bielikov@yahoo.com